1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of security. More particularly, it pertains to a security label to be used for an image photographing device such as a mobile phone incorporating therein a digital camera, a digital camera, and so on. The security label makes it temporarily impossible for the image photographing device to take a photograph, so as to prevent photographing of a confidential image or a copyrighted image.
2. Background Art
Various kinds of security labels have conventionally been developed and proposed. To give a conventional example, the package of a game machine such as a pinball machine may be improperly opened to alter a control part thereof, during shipment of the machine from a factory to a shop. In order to prevent such an improper opening of the package during distribution, a countermeasure such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 192321/1997 can be taken. That is, a control circuit substrate of a game machine which is vulnerable to an improper alteration is covered with a lid, and a sealing label is applied over the lid.
In order to prevent a manipulation of contents of a container such as a package, a manipulation prevention label has been employed which can certify that the package has not been opened. In the case of one type of commonly used manipulation prevention label, when the label is removed from a surface on which the label is applied, such as a container surface, a part of a print layer and an adhesive layer remain on the surface, and traces showing that the label has been removed from the surface remain on both the label and the surface. A manipulation prevention label of another type is proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-345255. If the label of this type is removed from a surface on which the label is applied, no adhesive layer remains on the surface while the removed label has a trace showing that the label has been removed from the surface. Even if the removed label is again applied to the surface, the trace does not disappear.
Some sort of mobile phones incorporating therein a digital camera are configured to ensure that sounds such as “click!”, “cheese!”, and so on are emitted when a shutter clicks, so as to prevent a person from photographing in secret.
Recent powerful apparatuses such as mobile phones and PDAs incorporating therein a digital camera enable anyone to take photographs improperly. Namely, one can take a photograph of confidential images and documents, and send the same at once to a desired address. Such improper acts can be performed in a number of places, e.g., research facilities, government office buildings, corporations, galleries, museums, schools, examination halls, exhibition halls, theaters, sports stadiums, shops, bookshops, department stores, and so on. As described above, some mobile phones incorporating therein a digital camera are configured to emit sounds when a shutter clicks. However, such sounds are meaningless in a crowded and noisy place as well as in a deserted place where one can openly take a photograph. In addition, such electronic sounds have no use when a sound-emitting device such as a speaker is destroyed, or software is altered to mute the sounds.
Naturally, a digital camera is not configured to emit sounds in general, and thus has no measures for preventing improper photographing. Although prohibition of photography is sometimes announced in certain places, such an announcement is not necessarily observed. Temporary custody of a mobile phone and a digital camera is also conducted at some places. However, taking custody of and returning a mobile phone and a digital camera requires the issuance of a claim check and careful handling of the apparatuses. In the case where a mobile phone is under custody, there are the disadvantages that an owner cannot communicate through the phone in an emergency, and there is also the fear that personal data stored in the mobile phone are improperly accessed by another person.
The present invention is made in view of the above. An object of the present invention is to provide a security label and a security label supply sheet. Since the security label can be easily applied to and removed from an image photographing device such as a mobile phone incorporating therein a digital camera, or a digital camera, the security label can be used on the image photographing devices which are taken into places where photography is prohibited, so as to prevent improper photography.
By studying the prevention of improper photography using a mobile phone incorporating therein a digital camera, or a digital camera, the inventors developed a security label that will have a trace showing that the label has been removed, the trace being generated by a bending of the security label upon removal thereof. By applying such a security label to a lens part of the image photographing device, improper photography can be prevented. Even if one removes the security label from the device to take a photograph, and applies the security label again to the device to cover the lens part thereof, a trace showing that the label has been removed remains on the label. Therefore, it is possible to hold the photographer accountable for his or/her behavior.